Kamen Rider Ex-Aid
is a Japanese tokusatsu drama in Toei Company's Kamen Rider Series. It is the eighteenth series in the Heisei period run and the twenty-seventh series overall. The series started on October 2, 2016, joining '' in the Super Hero Time line-up after the finale of Kamen Rider Ghost. Starting on February 12, 2017, the series was joined by in the Super Hero Time line-up. After the finale of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, Kamen Rider Build joined Kyuranger in the Super Hero Time line-up. The motif of the series is retro video gaming, as the Riders of the show utilize called Rider Gashats and have gear and form motifs inspired by retro video games. The series also integrates medical drama into the story because one of the main settings is a hospital and some of the main Riders are doctors. The tagline of the show is "Game Start!". Story 5 years ago, a new type of virus, named the Bugster Virus, infected humanity and turned them into creatures called Bugsters. In the present day, Emu Hojo, an intern and a genius gamer, receives the Gamer Driver and the Mighty Action X Gashat to transform into Kamen Rider Ex-Aid. Along with several other Riders, Emu must compete to save people from the Bugster Virus and become the "super doctor" who'll save humanity! Characters Kamen Riders TV Show Movie/Special-exclusive *Kamen Sentai Gorider Stageshow-exclusive *Kamen Sentai Gorider Allies *Ministry of Health **Kyotaro Hinata *Seito University Hospital **Haima Kagami **Ginko Yumita **Mizuki Mizoguchi **Satsuki Ogimachi *Genm Corp. **Tsukuru Koboshi *Bugsters **Burgermon Bugster *Daitenku Temple **Akari Tsukimura **Onari Yamanouchi **Shibuya Hachioji **Narita **Kanon Fukami *Taros **Kintaros *Togo Kiyomiya *Eight Kirino Kamen Riders Game World * Game World Villains Bugsters *Major Bugsters *Minor Bugsters *Other Bugsters **Collabos Bugster ***Collabos Bugster (Gekitotsu Robots) ***Collabos Bugster (DoReMiFa Beat) ***Collabos Bugster (Jet Combat) ***Collabos Bugster (Giri Giri Chambara) ***Collabos Bugster (Kamen Rider Genm) **Hatena Bugster **Pac-Man Virus **Futago Bugster **Totema **Nebula Bugster Next Genome Institute Ganbarizing's Legend Riders Beast Rider Squad Other *Shocker **Ambassador Hell **Shocker Leader III **Shocker Greeed **Hiruchameleon **Experimental Wolf Man **Space Shocker ***Space Ikadevil ***Space Spider Man **Nova Shocker ***Urga ***Buffal **Shocker Combatmen *Destron **Kani Laser *G.O.D. **King Dark *Badan Empire **Tiger-Roid **Mogura-Roid **Yamaarashi-Roid * ** * ** * ** ** *Foundation X **Foundation X member **Suddendath Beta *Xevious Army **Andor Genesis **Torkan **Bacura **Terrazi **Toroid *Galaxian Army **Galaxians **Space Bugs ***Blue Minion Bugs ***Purple Minion Bugs ***Red Minion Bugs Other characters *Saki Momose *Jiro Maki *Jungo Aihara Episodes Cast * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : *Rider Gashat Voice: *Narration, Gashacon Bugvisor Ⅱ/Buggle Driver Ⅱ Voice, Kamen Rider Chronicle Gashat Voice, Ren Amagasaki/Lovelica Bugster (voice): Guest cast * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : Suit actors *Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Level 2, Level 3, Level 5, Level XX R, Level 99, Muteki Gamer: *Kamen Rider Brave Level 2, Level 3, Level 5, Level 50, Level 100, Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Level XX L: *Kamen Rider Snipe Level 2, Level 3, Level 5, Level 50, Gamedeus: *Kamen Rider Genm Level 2, Level 3, Level X, Kamen Rider Cronus: *Kamen Rider Genm Level 2 (when riding Sports Gamer): *Kamen Rider Genm Level X, Level X-0, Graphite Bugster: *Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Level 1, Level X, Level 99 Maximum Gamerhttp://homu.komica.org/13/src/1490789988614.png, Kamen Rider Snipe Level 1, Kamen Rider Genm Level 1, Kamen Rider Lazer Level 3, Level 5, Lazer Turbo Level 0, Ride-Player Nico: *Kamen Rider Brave Level 1, Kamen Rider Lazer Level 1, Kamen Rider Poppyhttp://homu.komica.org/13/src/1490790173031.png: *Graphite Bugster, Kamen Rider Para-DX Level 50: *Kamen Rider Genm Level 0, Kamen Rider Cronus, Gamedeus Cronus: *Graphite Bugster, Bugsters: *Loverica Bugster, Bugsters: *Bugsters: , Notes *Most of the Riders of this series have four multi-colored "Buttons" on their chestplates. This is a possible gaming reference to the popular Super Famicom controller, as that had similarly colored buttons on its controls. *The show's title is a multiple form of word play, as the "aid" in Ex-Aid is an allusion to First Aid. Another hidden pun is the Japanese pronunciation in katakana is "E-gu-zei-do", which has a close similar sound to the English word "Excite" when pronounced in Japanese, "E-ku-sai-to". This is even referenced by the title of the show's opening theme. The final wordplay contains the Japanese pronunciation of the .EXE file extension ("E-gu-ze"). *Similarly, the Bugsters' nature as sentient viruses, is a play on the concept of computer viruses as well as biological pathogens, hence the heroes' civilian identities as doctors. *This is the first season where there are two female riders taking a central part in the show. *This Kamen Rider series shares some similar elements with its first Super Hero Time partner, Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger: **It uses pixelated graphic effect, similar one used for Cube effects in Zyuohger. **Its theme of "game" is similar to the Deathgalien's Blood Game. **Thought being different concepts, both series involved "Continues" (In Zyuohger the Continues were some kind of medals filled with the main villain Ginis' cells to allow the Deathgalien players to revive as giants while in Ex-Aid, the Continues were extra lives used by Kuroto after being revived as a Bugster). * Kamen Rider Ex-Aid shares many similarities with Kamen Rider Ryuki, primarily in regards to the Kamen Rider Chronicle crisis. ** One of the Riders, Masamune Dan, has the ability to stop time. In Ryuki, Kamen Rider Odin possesses a similar ability. ** The purpose of Kamen Rider Chronicle was to revive every individual who had succumbed to the Bugster Virus or suffered a Game Over, though Kuroto primarily wanted to revive his deceased mother. In Ryuki, Shiro began the Rider Fight in an effort to save his sister from her demise. ** Kamen Rider Chronicle pits various individuals given a mass produced variant of the gashat compete against one another to defeat the Bugsters for the opportunity to bring back their loved ones once they learn that any who completes Kamen Rider Chronicle can revive any who died, and at one point, the Rider Players attack the Kamen Riders. In Ryuki, 13 Riders are pitted against one another to have their wish granted. *** The Ride-Players can also be considered to be the same as the Alternative Riders from Ryuki, as both are unofficial Kamen Riders as well as "mass produced" variants. * Ex-Aid is the final Rider series to entirely air at 8 am. Starting in October, Kamen Rider Build moved to 9 am, airing before Uchu Sentai Kyuranger and its successor. *This is the first series since: **''Kamen Rider Fourze'' to end its broadcast in August. **''Kamen Rider 555'' to have only the head writer writing the plot of every episode. External links *Official website at TV Asahi * *Official website at Toei Company Category:Heisei era Category:Kamen Rider Series